Gaming industry must “grow up”

David Cage, the mind behind Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls, feels that it’s time the industry grows up.

“I think we need to accept this idea of growing up and finally become adults,” said Cage during a talk at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas.

“If you look at Wolfenstein in 1992, and Call of Duty in 2012… the graphics are incredibly realistic, but when you think about the concepts behind these games, they are really close,” said the Quantic Dream developer. “You still have to beat the computer or beat your friends, but the patterns or mechanics are always the same,” he said.

Talking in front of some big name developers, Cage offered some advice to take the industry forward.

“How do we make content that will talk to your mother or grandmother?” asked Cage. “Can we make games without a gun? That’s a challenge for the entire industry.”

Cage referred to a time when he pitched Indigo Prophecy to a US publisher, and was turned away because the protagonist didn’t carry a gun.

Cage emphasised that relatable topics and issues should be addressed in video games.

“All real world themes should be used. Anything you’d see in a book or movie or a TV series could be used in a game. Politics, homosexuality… we need to put games at the centre of our society and our lives.”

Cage also went on to discuss how to make games more accessible, as well as mending and respecting the relationship between Hollywood and video games.

He wrapped-up by saying that the word “game” sets a precedent of expectation from audiences for a traditional video game experience, and that should be changed.

“In the coming years, my hope is that we see the rise of ‘digital entertainment.’ It should be accessible to all, open to all themes and all genres, and talk about society in a meaningful way. It should be based on the journey and not the challenge, and be cross-platform […] and finally become mass market.

“I think it’s an amazing medium unlike anything else, and what we have here is absolutely different and unique, but I think we need to accept this idea of growing up and finally become adults,” Cage concluded.

What do you think of the points raised? Let us know in the comments below and on the MyGaming forum.

The guy makes a fair point if you stand on the side of trying to get more people into gaming, but, isn’t gaming about breaking away from every day life, from the problem and issues? If I wanted to address REAL LIFE ISSUES, I would do so IN REAL LIFE. Gaming is an escape from the norm and real, why take that away?